Contact-piece for furniture.



B. F. MAYO.

CONTACT PIECE FOR FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11. 190s.

Patented June 25, 1912.

BENJAMIN F. MAYO, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTACT-PIECE FOR FURNITURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1908.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. MAYO, acitizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Essexand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inContact-Pieces for Furniture, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likereference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in theseveral figures.

This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to the contactpieces usually provided for the bottoms of the legs of such furniture aschairs, tables, bedsteads, pianos, etc. These contact pieces areattached to the furniture legs and are intended to facilitate themovement of the furniture about a room. The device more commonly usedfor this purpose is the wellknown type of roller or wheel caster,although ordinary sliding shoes have also been used, but both of thesetypes of devices have been unsatisfactory in practice.

The use of casters upon wooden floors almost inevitably results indamaging the floors since the small bearing surface of the wheel upon.the floor, necessarily concentrating at a single point or line theweight carried by such a caster, indents the wood and furthermore tendsto scratch the floor .when the caster is moved. The frequent as thewheel of a caster can only revolve when properly positioned for the lineof draft, if it is not so positioned the first movement of the furniturebefore the wheels are in line results in marring the floor.

Sliding shoes while practically incapable of use upon carpets, areadapted to be used upon wooden floors, the large bearing sur facedistributing the weight, reducing friction and permitting an easysliding movement. Heretofore sliding shoes have been objectionablebecause of their comparatively high cost and complicated constructionand also because the shoe was generally made of metal and liable toscratch the floor and because such devices could not be easily movedover carpets and rugs.

It is the object of this invention to improve contact pieces forfurniture and to Patented June 25, 1912.

Serial No. 467,074.

provide a device of this class which shall be economical and easilyaffixed and capable of use upon wooden floors without danger ofscratching, which may slide easily thereon, and also be capable ofrolling over carpets or thresholds. Thus the device of this inventioncombines to a large degree the advantages. incident to both casters andto sliding shoes Without the disadvantages of either.

The preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings,comprises a block of wood in the general shape of a truncated cone withmeans to connect it to a furniture leg permitting a fixed amount oflateral as well as vertical play or lost motion between the leg and theblock. This provision of a somewhat loose connection permits the blockto adjust itself automatically to inequalities in the floor or floorcovering and further admits of easy rolling of the block when tiltedupon the edge of the circular has-e, thus facilitating movement of thefurniture over thresholds and carpets. The lower bearing surface of thewooden block is preferably in the same plane with the grain of the woodto insure smooth sliding and uniform wearing, and obviate all liabilityof scratching.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 a View in perspective of a chairequipped with contact pieces embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a viewin vertical cross sec tion showing the block, its securing means and aportion of a chair leg; and Fig. 3 is a view showing how the block maybe rolled upon the floor by being first tilted to bear upon'the edge ofits circular base.

The block 2 is preferably arranged with its base resting upon the floorand the upper part of the cone in contact with the foot of the chairleg 1. In order to connect the block to the chair leg, it is preferredto bore out the axis of the cone, through which a headed pin or screw 6of smaller diameter than the hole bored is passed and set into the chairleg. The block 2 is counterbored in its lower partas indicated at 8 toreceive the head of the screw 6. A metal bushing 3 will preferably beused which should be of less diameter than the axial bore and slightlylonger than the thickness of the block from its top to the bottom of thecounter bore 8, in order to afford the desired predetermined amount ofplay between the furniture leg and the block.

It is preferred, particularly in heavy furniture, to provide a washer 4between the furniture leg and the top of the block and arranged to bearupon the bushing 3. Also a washer 5 may be placed between the lower endof the bushing and the head of the screw 6. This will enable the screw 6to be set up tightly upon the washers and bushing and allow the desiredamount of play for the block 2 and also provides a metallic wearingsurface when sliding or rolling the block. The grain of the wood in theblock 2- is preferably parallel with the base 10, which enables thesliding surface to be polished and present a smoother surface thanheretofore in such' devices, obviating the scratching of floors whichwould result if the bearing surface were perpendicular to the grain andalso securing a more uniform wearing for the contact piece. In order tocause the block 2 to roll it is desirable to tip it slightly so that itbears upon the circular edge of the base 10. Provision for tipping theblock is afforded by the ample length of the bushing or bearing throughthe center of the block, in combination with the relatively broad flatbase 10, and the securing means 6. As said securing means is rigid withthe furniture leg, an appropriate inclination of the leg results intipping and raising the block upon the circular edge of its base.

The operation of the device is thought to be obvious. It is adapted toslide easily upon wooden floors, or to be rolled along as shown in Fig.3. The large bearing surface of the base 10prevents indenting the floorsor carpets, and the provision for some play in the connecting meansbesides facilitating rolling enables the device to rest firmly upon anuneven place such as upon the edge of a rug and the flooring. The modernarrangement of hard wood floors and rugs in residences has created ademand for a contact piece for furniture such as this inventionprovides, one which is inexpensive and easily applied, which will notscratch hardwood floors and yet is capable of rolling over floorcoverings.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A device of the classdescribed having, in combination, a contact piece for a furniture legprovided with an axial hole, a bushing for said axial hole ofsubstantially less diameter and of greater length than such forfurniture, provided with an axial hole,

an extended lower bearing surface on said contact piece adapted to slideover floors with a minimum amount of friction, means cooperating withsaid axial hole to attach said contact piece to furniture, said meanscomprising a bearing for the contact piece of substantially lessdiameter and of greater length than said hole, said parts cooperating sothatsaid supporting piece will adapt itself to slight inclinations ofthe floor but upon tilting the article of furniture to which it isattached it will be tipped from the floor and will serve as a wheel.

3. In a device of the class described, a contact piece formed with asubstantially flat bearing surface, with a substantially circular edgeand with a hole substantially peppendicular to the bearing surface, andmeans for securing said contact piece to furniture, said meanscomprising a bearing portion of smaller diameter and greater length thanthe hole in the contact piece, to permit limited tipping movement of thecontact piece with relation to said securing means.

4. In a device of the class described, a contact piece formed with asubstantially flat bearing surface, with a substantially circular edgeand with a hole perpendicular to said surface, said hole being enlargedadjacent to said surface, and securing means comprising a head to bereceived in the enlarged end of the hole and a bearing portion ofsubstantially less diameter and greater length than the smaller portionof the hole, to permit limited tipping movement of the con tact piece onthe securing means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. MAYO.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. RUssELL, ELIzABn'rH C. COUPE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

